Saturday Mothers/People: Tourists Not Disturbed by us, But by Human Rights Abuses

* Photos: Emine Ocak by Hayri Tunç, Evrim Kepenek/bianet

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"In fact, we have nothing to answer to Deputy Minister. Tourists must be disturbed not by us, but by their human rights violations."

Eren Baskın.

"In the face of attempts to make it forgotten, Galatasaray is where we make the reality of the enforced disappeared visible. Galatasaray is a site of memory. The explanation of 'Tourists are disturbed' is unrealistic."

Besna Tosun.

"First, the response of the Ministry of Interior to the Parliamentary question, then this unfortunate statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs... All in all, it proves how hard the government strives to normalize the bans. But, this ban is not normal. In fact, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and Constitutional Court say that all these are unlawful."

Maside Ocak.

"Tourists are not disturbed by us, but by them. How many tourists appealed to authorities, alleging that they are disturbed by us? They should explain.

İkbal Eren.

That is how Saturday Mothers/People Besna Tosun, Eren Baskın, Maside Ocak and İkbal Eren have responded to the remarks of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Faruk Kaymakçı.

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Speaking at the Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations (UN). in Geneva, Kaymakçı was asked why Saturday Mothers/People were prevented from gathering at Galatasaray Square in Beyoğlu, İstanbul to ask the fate and whereabouts of the enforced disappeared.

In answering the question, Kaymakçı said, "Because they disturb tourists..." He also argued that Saturday Mothers/People staged their weekly sit-in protests without getting a permission.

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Responding to the remarks of Kaymaçkı, Saturday Mothers/People underline that the decision to ban Galatasaray Square is against the law, emphasizing that they will not give up the square.

Baskın: It is not the mothers who disturb tourists

"We were also surprised at this statement. We cannot understand how shameless, how worthless they are", Eren Baskın tells bianet. He is a rights defender and lawyer whose father Mecit Baskın was disappeared in custody.

Continuing his remarks, Baskın says, "No one is disturbed by the mothers or anything. Tourists must be disturbed by not the mothers, but by the enforced disappearances and human rights violations that they commit. And the state must be disturbed that all these are revealed.

"We will carry on this struggle. We will never give up going to Galatasaray Square, which has now turned into Saturday Square."

Ocak: They want to normalize unlawfulness

Having lost her brother Hasan Ocak in custody, human rights defender Maside Ocak also makes the following remarks:

"First, the response of the Ministry of Interior to the Parliamentary question, then this unfortunate statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs... All in all, it is a result of how hard the government strives to normalize the bans. But, it is not a normal ban. In fact, the ECtHR and Constitutional Court say that all of these actions are against the law.

"They want to create an atmosphere where a complete departure from the law and fear prevail.

"All across the world, people take to the busiest streets of the city to raise publicity. But I really wonder how the faces of the audience changed after they heard the answer of 'touristic site' in Geneva yesterday. Because, for 76 weeks, we have been faced with their unlawfulness. While we are expecting that the perpetrators are found and an explanation is made about the disappeared, they impose yet another unlawfulness on us.

"We will give up neither our losses, nor Galatasaray Square, which is our site where we meet our loved ones that we lost."

Eren: They are disturbed, not tourists

Having lost her brother Hayrettin Eren in custody, Saturday Mother/People İkbal Eren says the following:

"There are now police officers at Galatasaray Square. Those who are there are disturbing tourists right now. The statement of the Minister is not that innocent. No one was saying anything when we were there. People would go their own ways or halt and listen to us as they wished.

"It is not tourists who are disturbed, they are disturbed themselves. Tourists would come to us and try to understand what was happening. And we explained it to them. I think, they are disturbed by that.

"You have closed the square of a city. Aren't passers-by and tourists disturbed by that? I think, this image speaks for the situation of the whole country. Nobody comes to Beyoğlu anymore.

"How many tourists appealed to security forces because they were afraid? They should explain it to us. I am wondering... How many people appealed to security forces or consulates because they were afraid of us or because they were concerned about their safety of life? They should explain that to us."

Tosun: They don't tell the truth

Having lost her father Fehmi Tosun in custody, Besna Tosun also says,

"The state wants to cover up the truth and silence us with this ban. We will not stay silent. Those who have unlawfully banned Galatasaray to us have taken the square captive with their Anti-Riot Water Cannon Vehicles (TOMA), panzers, heavy-armed police officers. The officials of Justice Ministry do not tell the truth. The truth is that: Galatasaray has been under police blockage for the last 76 weeks. We did not disturb anyone.

"We used our legal rights. We want to use this right again. Tourists are not disturbed by the protest at the square on the busiest avenue of this city, but by what is said during the protest, by the rights abuses of the state." (EMK/SD)